Debate contributions by Małgorzata GOSIEWSKA

Mr President, thank you very much. I speak as a Pole who still remembers the smell of tear gas, and as a friend of Georgia, who steals not tanks, but betrayal. The crisis in Tbilisi is no longer political. It's criminal in nature. The regime uses chemical burning agents against students holding the flags of the European Union. We have repeatedly called for the release of President Saakashvili. However, the regime ignores any European resolution. Why is that? Because Saakashvili is the target of Putin's personal vendetta, and his continued imprisonment is an act of Tbilisi's loyalty to the Kremlin. Finally, we must identify the architect of this disaster, Bidzina Ivanishvili. The United States worked. The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on Ivanishvili. The Americans called him by his name: A Russian asset that took over the state apparatus to dismantle Georgia's sovereignty. We can't pretend to have a partnership with a Russian attorney. The time to express concern is over. We must immediately sanction Ivanishvili, otherwise we will witness another...

Madam President, I'm sorry. The Internet has become a place of hate, promoting hatred, mixing children in their heads, promoting gender ideology and disastrous leftist content, resulting in disturbing their adolescence process. A place of attack on the family and basic social values. To stop this, we need protective barriers limiting children's access to harmful content. But the most important barrier is adult awareness. Because adults, not algorithms, are the first line of defense. It is we who must know what is threatening children and it is we who must defend them from harm and react. And there is one more fundamental point. Children cannot be the victims of a brutal political struggle, which took place in Poland during the last presidential campaign, when supporters of the current government, your favorites, attacked in a shameful way the children of the opposition candidate, today the President of Poland. It's not just crossing the boundaries of public debate, it's real harm done to the youngest. That is why the initiative of Marta Nawrocka, the Polish First Lady, who set up a foundation to protect children from online violence and build their digital resilience, is so important. Systematic protection of children online – yes, but at national level. On the other hand, definitely...

Madam President, I'm sorry. Between 2022 and 2023, Poland spent PLN 106 billion to help Ukraine, military, humanitarian and economic. That's 3.8% of our GDP. From the first day of the war, Poles helped Ukrainians without asking, without setting conditions. 77% of our citizens have joined in helping refugees. That's another $20 billion. Where was the European Union then? Where was the solidarity mechanism? Poland was carrying the burden of the biggest humanitarian crisis in Europe after World War II. Without your help, without the help of Brussels. And today, the same officials who have not shown us support want to punish us if we do not agree to your solutions, to the forced relocation of migrants. This is not solidarity, this is injustice and hypocrisy. Poland has done more for Europe than many rich Western countries. That's why we're clear: Not for the migration pact, not for mass migration, not for relocation, not for human trafficking. Because that's what you're proposing.

Madam President, I'm sorry. We observe with concern the events in Bulgaria, a country that has built democracy and the rule of law over the years. Today, this road is under threat. The so-called liberal forces associated with the radical left and pro-Russian circles are trying to undermine trust in the state, the judiciary and the idea of European integration. Through political and media campaigns, they seek to destabilise and halt European funds. Under the banner of defending the rule of law, there is an attack on the independent judiciary and anti-corruption institutions, acting in accordance with the Constitution and European jurisprudence. This reminds me very much of the situation in Poland, where after the victory of conservative forces, attempts were made in a similar way to weaken the authority of the state and destroy democracy. We cannot allow the mechanisms created to protect the rule of law to become a tool of pressure on legitimately elected governments. Let us defend the idea of a Europe of free nations, a Europe free from leftist utopias.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Today, the Conference of Presidents will decide on the award of the Sakharov Prize. I believe that the winner will be Andrzej Poczobut. It will be a symbol of our support for all political prisoners of the Lukashenka regime. However, we must also remember those who have dedicated their lives to the fight for freedom and justice. Let's pay homage to them by name. Witold Aszurak, Alona Amielina, Raman Bandarenka, Walery Bohdan, Hanna Kandracienka, Tamara Karawaj, Vadzim Chraśko, Mikalai Klimowicz, Aliaksandr Kulinicz, Ihar Lednik, Uladzimir Krysionak, Mikita Kryłcou, Andrej Padniabienny, Arciom Parukau, Ales Pushkin, Dzmitry Sarokin, Siarhei Szchacinka, Dźmitry Szlethauer, Walancin Sztermer, Dźmitry Stachouski, Kanstancin Szyszmakou, Aliaksandr Tarajkouski, Aliaksandr Wichor. Hi to their memory! We stand in solidarity with their families and friends. But I also want to say out loud: the crimes of Lukashenko and his sidekicks we see, we gather evidence and the day will come when they will be tried before the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Mr President, thank you very much. Africa does not need alms. It needs real partnership, respect and real action. Instead of empty promises, invest in education. Instead of short-term humanitarian actions, let's build hospitals. Instead of selling untested or even harmful medicines to Africans, let's help them create their own safe solutions. Instead of further declarations of cooperation, let us share technology, create jobs, promote fair economic development, free from corruption. Let us help build strong and transparent institutions that give people confidence in their own countries, because only then will we stop illegal migration and human trafficking. And let's not forget about those who have been on the first line of help for years: Religious communities and churches, especially Christian ones. They are the ones who bring education, care and hope where the state and international organizations do not reach. They build schools and hospitals, they are often the only salvation for the poor. It's Europe! You have a choice. You can continue to pretend to be helping, or start building real partnership and shared security. Because if Europe does not actively participate in creating healthy, just societies, Russia and China will do it in their authoritarian way.

Mr President, thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, The decision to impose a fine on Google is an example of a worrying trend: Punishing success instead of promoting innovation. Google has gained its position thanks to the technological advantage and services that millions of Europeans use every day. So is it really about protecting media pluralism or trying to weaken an uncomfortable giant? Let me remind you: The European Commission has never intervened against Twitter, today X, despite the fact that for years this platform with a clearly left-wing attitude has influenced public debate, deleting entries or accounts. The Commission reacted only after Elon Musk took over the service and liberalised content policy, threatening billions in penalties and blockades. You react immediately to giants like Google and Amazon. On the other hand, in the case of left-wing opinion-forming platforms, you limit yourself to purely symbolic gestures. Is this really an expression of concern for media balance or rather a fear of losing ideological influence? And since we are talking about media freedom, it is worth asking where the European Commission was when the government of Donald Tusk forcibly took over public media in Poland. What did the Commission do then? Nothing, ladies and gentlemen, nothing at all. The decision to punish Google is not about protecting media pluralism, but about bureaucratic control. This is an example of politically motivated regulatory selectivity in its pure form. Instead of being an area of freedom and innovation, Europe increasingly resembles a censor who is afraid of real competition, including that of ideas.

Mr President, thank you very much. For several decades, Europe, and more recently Poland, has been struggling with the mental health crisis of its citizens. This is not a marginal problem. This is a growing problem that has a tragic effect, also in the age group of children and adolescents. Studies in the past year show that every fourth Pole struggles with depression. Since the middle of the last century, the number of suicides has increased by 60%. What has happened that in the post-war world statistics have increased so drastically? In Poland, the government reduces expenditure on psychiatry. Eliminate mental health centers. It limits the lessons of religion and ethics. He fights against the Church, focusing on the politics of so-called equality and the propaganda of success, which covers the inefficiency of financial policy, rising prices and unemployment. But, as I would like to emphasise, social problems arise from the dissolution of the family and the promotion of liberal models of a man without values, living in sexual consumption and imaginary problems of gender diversity. That is why I appeal: Let's promote healthy patterns of loving family and subsidize medicine for patients' needs.

Madam President, I'm sorry. The humanitarian situation in Haiti is tragic. Today, gangs control more than 85% of the capital. Thousands of people are killed or fleeing violence. A brutal killing of civilians has recently taken place in Cabaret. Violence has reached unprecedented levels. Gangs kill, rape, burn homes, schools, hospitals, spread terror all over the country. More than a million people have been displaced and there is hunger and sexual violence in the camps. Half of Haiti's population lives in dramatic poverty without water, medicine and safety. But there is a light of hope in this hell: The Catholic Missions. For 14 years, Felician sisters in Jacmel have been running a mobile clinic, sewing school and educational program. Thanks to their work and the support of donors from Poland, hundreds of children, and often adults, have access to daily meals, learning, treatment and education. Poland has always supported Haiti in difficult situations. Personally, I was there with medical and humanitarian assistance after the tragic earthquake of 2010. But Haiti needs global mobilisation. Action by the UN and the international community is needed to guarantee the safety of civilians, provide food, water, medicines, support women and children, as well as rebuild state structures and education.

Mr President, thank you very much. We are discussing a new strategy for the European Union towards India, a country that, on the one hand, is an economic and technological powerhouse but, on the other hand, has a policy that runs counter to the values on which the European Union is based, at least in theory. In 2022, India became one of the main recipients of Russian oil, thus enabling the financing of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. It was only Donald Trump's decision to impose tariffs on goods from India that changed the direction of oil purchases. It is therefore necessary to ask: How does the Union intend to pursue its ‘high strategic objectives’ vis-à-vis India? Let's move on. How will the EU implement joint aid with India to other countries, third countries, when India itself is facing social problems: Poverty, deep inequality, a well-established caste system? What about women's rights? How does the EU want to build an equality policy together with India, when women are still systematically discriminated against, marginalised and violence against them is widespread and often goes unpunished? Similarly in the area of security. How can we talk about a common security strategy with a country that maintains close relations with Russia? The list of doubts is long. The Commissioner says that we share common values. Really, Commissioner, are these common values?

Mr President, thank you very much. We are concerned about the resurgence of anti-Semitism in many European countries. There is hatred in the streets. Jewish schools and synagogues must be guarded, as must restaurants and other public places. This is a disgrace to Europe. However, I would like to make it clear: In Poland today, the Jewish community lives safely. We have a centuries-old tradition of their presence in our homeland. Jews co-created Polish tradition, Polish culture, science and economy. And we Poles, who, like the Jewish people, experienced the German genocide of World War II, know what hatred and contempt for man is. Ladies and Gentlemen, modern anti-Semitism in Western Europe is born in the Middle East and from illegal immigration from Islamic countries, where hatred against Jews is part of upbringing and ideology. Poland, which did not allow mass migration, remains a safe place. And you brought anti-Semitism to your countries. Europe does not need empty slogans today, but courage to defend its borders, values and citizens.

Mr President, thank you very much. On 28 September, the citizens of Moldova will decide on the future of their country. These elections are not only an internal matter for them – they are also a test of the resilience of democracy to the brutal methods of Russia, which is constantly trying to destabilize and influence Moldova. As before, it has been destroying Ukraine or Georgia, influencing societies through disinformation, cyberattacks, illegal party financing or manipulation of public opinion. It is also an attempt to ‘dismantle’ security in the region. That is why it is our duty to support Moldova in protecting fair elections, fighting propaganda, building strong state institutions or supporting economic development. We are waiting for the release of the first tranche of funds for boosting the economy, for infrastructure, for the modernisation of Moldova. Only a safe and sovereign, economically strong Moldova can guarantee stability and security in the region. As an international community, we must initiate and support activities primarily in the area of information security, cyber defence, protection of the electoral process. The next step must be to impose sanctions on Russian oligarchs and their local agents operating in Moldova. It must be made clear: Russia will not decide on the future of Moldova or the future of Europe.

Dear President, Before the summer, I requested a resolution on the persecution of political prisoners in Belarus. We have not seen it to this day, but in the meantime another prisoner, Andrei Podniebieny, died in a penal colony in Mogilev. His mother wrote: “My beloved son passed away on 3 September. My grandchildren were left without a father. The only consolation is that no one will be able to physically or mentally abuse my son anymore. I believe that God's justice will reach the guilty and no crime will go unpunished." Andrei was a political prisoner sentenced to nearly 17 years in a penal colony under inhumane conditions. This is the ninth death of a political prisoner since 2021. In a similar penal colony, in equally inhumane conditions, Andrzej Poczobut, a journalist, journalist, and steadfast man, has been arriving for the third year. It is a symbol of fighting Belarus. Soon we will decide on the award of the Sakharov Prize. So please, let's choose Andrzej Poczobut. He deserved it with his life, and your vote for his candidacy could save him from death.

Recent months in Syria have seen a new wave of violence against religious minorities, especially Christians. The murders. Kidnappings. Destruction of cemeteries. On June 22, in Damascus, in the church of Mar Elias, there was a terrorist attack during the liturgy, 25 innocent people were killed, more than 60 were injured. It was an attack not only on life, but on identity, on the presence of Christians in the Middle East. Professor Waldemar Cisło, who works in the Middle East, said: "The attack in Damascus is a tragic reflection of the situation of Christian minorities in Syria following the change of power. The death of innocent Christians exposes a real threat to which the authorities should react immediately, but not respond. The government of Ahmed al-Ghar promised equality, religious neutrality, security. Meanwhile, Sharia elements are being introduced in schools and the Islamisation of public life is progressing." I call on the European Parliament to condemn this attack and to put pressure on the new Syrian authorities so that religious minorities can live without fear. I demand the international protection of places of worship. Let us condition EU aid on respect for religious freedom. Let us show that Europe does not forget its brothers and sisters in the faith, even if they are thousands of kilometres away.

Madam President, I'm sorry. There is a growing dictatorship in Georgia. The Georgian Dream – a pro-Russian party – is breaking the law and enacting legislation at an express pace that marginalises the opposition, liquidates independent media and silences civil society. Georgian protesters who do not agree to such a policy are brutally treated. Eight opposition leaders have been arrested in recent weeks. Former President Saakashvili is still illegally imprisoned. At the same time, the Georgian authorities are consciously implementing the strategy of strengthening relations with Russia, Belarus and Iran, i.e. the planned separation of Georgia from Europe and Western values against the will of the nation. This is a true picture of Georgia. We cannot remain passive. I call for the immediate international isolation of the Georgian Dream authorities, for maintaining contact with President Zurabishvili as the last guarantee of a course for Europe, and for the introduction of individual sanctions, including an entry ban and an asset freeze. I call for pressure for the release of all political prisoners and for the mobilisation of a support fund for Georgian civil society.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Lukashenko released 30 hostages. Not prisoners, but hostages. Brutally tortured, mentally and physically devastated. Their appearance says it all. Look at the face of Siarhei Tsikhanouski. This is not a picture of a man who has regained his freedom. It's evidence of a crime. The regime does not stop. In 2025, we already have more than 1,700 detentions. Hundreds of new hostages. Pseudo-judgments work every day, as in the case of Victoria Kulsha. The fifth sentence. Dramatic state of health. indefinite detention. It's not the law. This is a system of terror. Pardons are a cynical regime game, a smokescreen. Lukashenko is weakening. Sanctions are working. And that's why they can't be soothed right now. They need to be strengthened. Hit harder and deeper. The EU must speak with one voice. No concessions. No illusions. Suspension of sanctions can only be considered in one case: the full immediate release of all political prisoners. Cancellation of all political issues. Zero new repressions. Every step backwards is an acquiescence to a crime. It's a live Belarus.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Speaking of the situation in the Middle East, it is impossible not to mention the fate of Christians, because today they are one of the most persecuted religious groups in the world. Violent attacks are taking place in Egypt and across the region. Churches are burned, clergy kidnapped and murdered, faithful beaten, raped and killed for not renouncing their faith. The attacks in Tanta and Alexandria, Egypt, more than 45 killed during Mass on Palm Sunday, an attack on a pilgrim bus in Minji, 33 Christians murdered by gunshots to the head. The last appalling case – the removal of St. Catherine's monastery in Sinai from the Christian community – is systemic, ruthless terror and planned politics. The statistics are devastating. One Christian dies for his faith every six minutes. The Middle East is one of the most dangerous places. Europe cannot remain silent. If we believe in human rights, we must loudly condemn these persecutions and demand protection for Christians. Silence makes us complicit in this barbaric violence.

Madam President, I'm sorry. 82 years ago, in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia, there was a crime, the so-called Volhynia massacre, an ethnic cleansing carried out by Ukrainian nationalists, in which tens of thousands of Poles were brutally murdered. Today we pay tribute to these victims. The memory of them is not meant to arouse hatred. It is a reconciliation based on truth. I want to believe that the people, who themselves today are experiencing war so painfully and with such dedication are searching for their fallen, will finally understand our need to find and to bury all the victims of this crime with dignity. May the memory of the victims be our common commitment. We remember you and will always remember you.

Mr President, thank you very much. The enlargement of the European Union to new countries, such as Ukraine, is geopolitically justified. However, it has serious economic consequences, especially for countries such as Poland. We are already seeing the impact of increasing competition from Ukraine in key sectors such as road transport and agriculture. In response to Russia’s aggression, the European Union liberalised Ukraine’s access to the single market in 2022, completely abolishing tariffs and quotas and giving up the licensing system for road transport. Officially motivated by solidarity, these actions have created significant social tensions in the Member States. The biggest beneficiaries of these activities were powerful agroholdings, including those controlled by international capital. You said that you cared about Ukrainian farmers, that it was an expression of solidarity with the fighting country. In fact, it was to support international players in strengthening their position on the European market at the expense of our farmers, at the expense of our processors. This is not international solidarity. This is not how the enlargement of the European Union should take place.

Mr President, thank you very much. In Georgia, the lights of democracy are fading. The authorities dominated by the Georgian Dream brutally suppress the pro-democracy protests and wage an open war against the free media. Mzia Amaglobeli, a respected journalist, was arrested only for daring to protest. In her dramatic appeal, she said "I will not accept the agenda of the regime. I'm on a hunger strike. Freedom is more precious than life.” Freedom is more precious than life. Former Georgian President Saakashvili has been a political prisoner of the Ivanishvili regime for almost 4 years. The Georgian Dream, led behind the scenes by Bidzina Ivanishvili, has turned Georgia away from Europe. This country, once aspiring to join the European Union and NATO, has become a satellite of Moscow. We can't just stand by and watch it. Georgians are fighting for fundamental values. They fight for democracy, for freedom of speech, for a normal life. To support a dictatorship, to submit to it, is a crime. Indifference and silence is also a crime, ladies and gentlemen.